Ocean City Car Lot Deal Halted: Reports

OCEAN CITY, NJ - The plan for Ocean City to buy the large lot by the recreation center is off the table, according to Ocean City Daily. The $9 million dollar bid to buy the land has been withdrawn by Mayor Jay Gillian after a petition by Fairness in Taxes, a local watchdog group.

Fairness in Taxes submitted the petition which would require that the City Council hear it at the next meeting, according to Ocean City Daily. That meeting would fall after October 31st, which is the date that the deal with the lot owners expires.

Since buying the property is no longer a possibility, Gillian is advising the board to withdraw and do away with the funding ordinance, according to Ocean City Daily.

Fairness in Taxes had previously submitted a petition earlier in the month that was denied because of a lack of signatures, according to Ocean City Daily.

The group's main issue was the price of the land, according to the Fairness in Taxes website.

"Ocean City wants to pay $9 million for a 1.9-acre lot on the west side of town. Residents led by the city’s Fairness in Taxes organization think it may be overpaying, and want to slow down and examine the deal," Fairness in Taxes posted on their website.

Had the deal gone through, Gillian was looking to keep the land for public use, or building a new police station, according to Ocean City Daily.

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